There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about candidate John Idzik and his qualifications for the Jets’ general manager job so lets try and break down what we know as best as we can…

Obviously what stands out about Idzik is his most recent venture with the Seattle Seahawks. Idzik joined Seattle in 2007 and has served as their vice president of football administration. His daily responsibilities include managing the team’s salary cap and personnel transactions, taking part in negotiations, and partaking in player evaluations. Per Field Gulls, SB Nation’s blog dedicated to covering the Seahawks, Albert Breer stated that his function as a talent evaluator was indeed true and that Seattle had been utilizing him in that role more and more recently.

Prior his gig in Seattle, Idzik was tabbed as the Arizona Cardinals’ senior director of football operations, a position that is highlighted by evaluating talent…just ask Tom Telesco who left the same position with the Colts and was a part of Indianapolis’ drafts since 1998 in varying capacities. As you know by now, the Cardinals went on their Super Bowl run in Idzik’s final year with the team. However, before his Arizona days, he spent 11 seasons in Tampa Bay. He started out as a Pro Personnel assistant before being promoted as the director of football administration in 1996. He served as assistant general manager for three years which coincided with the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl bid.

A further look back reveals that Idzik is no stranger to the football fields having served a graduate assistant at his alma mater (Duke) working with the offensive line and running backs and had a brief stint offensive backfield coach with the Aberdeen Oilers and spent a year as the receivers coach at the State University of N.Y. (Buffalo) in 1982. Idzik grew up around football as his father, John Sr., served as a coach in multiple leagues for years including here in New York as the offensive coordinator from 1976 to 1979. The junior Idzik also played wide receiver at Dartmouth while earning his bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He later earned his master’s degree in liberal studies at Duke.